The present invention is directed to processes for waxing in-shell eggs and to eggs prepared by such processes.
Coating of in-shell eggs, particularly chicken eggs, for extending their shelf-life is referenced in a variety of patents and publications. Some of these references relate to, for example (1) smearing a wax layer on an in-shell egg by hand (GB 242,780); (2) applying egg albumin on an in-shell egg by dipping or using a sponge as an applicator (U.S. Pat. No. 1,261,724); (3) applying an oil-in-water emulsion (containing various additives) on an in-shell egg by spraying or brushing (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,438,168; 2,222,000); (4) spraying a wax layer on an in-shell egg (U.S. Pat. No. 2,439,808); and (5) coating in-shell eggs with plastics, greases, oils and the like by dipping them into a reservoir of the coating material (e.g., a reservoir containing molten wax) (E. M. Funk, Maintenance of Quality in Shell Eggs by Thermostabilization, University of Missouri, College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station, Research Bulletin 467, pp. 1-46 (December 1950)). These processes are labor intensive and poorly suited for waxing commercial quantities of eggs. In addition, they can merely encapsulate the eggs in wax. A wax coating that merely encapsulates an egg is prone to breaking, cracking and the like. Once the integrity of the external wax coating is lost, unwanted contaminants including toxic chemicals, pathogens and the like may find their way into the in-shell egg through pores in its shell.
Waxing of other foods is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,046,143 (waxing raisins); U.S. Pat. No. 2,337,666 (waxing hams); U.S. Pat. No. 1,943,468 (applying a wax emulsion coating on fruit); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,790 (applying aqueous emulsions on fruits and vegetables); and in French patent FR 2680951-A (dropping fruits, vegetables, cheeses and other food items through a melted wax layer disposed on the surface of a warm layer of water, through the warm layer of water, and into a cool layer of water underlying the warm layer of water).